By Scout Nelson
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) has announced more than $3 million in Specialty Crop Block Grant funding to support specialty crop production, research, education, pest management, and market development across North Dakota.
The funding comes through the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS). A total of 24 projects received funding, with grant allocations based on specialty crop acreage and production value within the state.
Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, horticultural products, nursery crops, tree nuts, dried fruits, and floriculture. The program is designed to strengthen the competitiveness of these crops through research, education, marketing, and industry development efforts.
A significant share of the funding was awarded to North Dakota State University (NDSU) for projects focused on crop health, disease management, breeding, and agricultural innovation. Research initiatives include improving potato virus detection, managing soybean cyst nematodes in dry beans, controlling root rot diseases in peas and lentils, enhancing chickpea and lentil germplasm, and developing improved dry bean varieties.
Additional NDSU projects will focus on breeding vegetable crops adapted to northern climates, identifying high-yield tomato varieties, reducing diseases affecting tomatoes and peas, improving white mold management in pinto beans, and evaluating native trees for landscaping and nursery production.
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture also received funding for projects involving invasive horticultural pest detection, specialty crop education and outreach, and honey bee virus monitoring. These initiatives aim to support growers while protecting crop and pollinator health.
Other organizations receiving funding include the National Agricultural Genotyping Center (NAGC), which will expand DNA screening tools for herbicide-resistant weeds affecting specialty crops. The Northland Potato Growers Association received support for research examining potatoes in GLP-1-friendly diets, while the North Dakota Trade Office secured funding to expand international market opportunities for specialty crop producers and processors.
Interest in the grant program remained strong, with 45 applications submitted to NDDA. Following a review and scoring process, 24 projects were selected and forwarded to USDA for final approval.
Applications for the 2027 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program are expected to open in December 2026 and close in January 2027. Proposed projects will undergo review and ranking before recommendations are submitted for USDA approval.
For more information about the upcoming application process, applicants may contact NDDA at 701-328-2191 or by email at scbg@nd.gov.
Photo Credit:gettyimages-valentinrussanov
Categories: North Dakota, Business, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables, Government & Policy